“Now we hope this never happens, and you don’t need to ever refer to this video, but we’re going to look at what happens if you scuff your AlloyGator.
OK, if you’re unlucky enough to catch your AlloyGator on a kerb, whilst your first reaction might be bad, and to curse, you can console yourself a little by knowing that if the Gator hadn’t been fitted, your alloy wheel rim would have been damaged, and that could be have been a lot worse.”
What Happens If My Alloy Gator Gets Scuffed?
If the AlloyGator has been lightly scuffed, you will notice that the plastic is the same colour all the way through, so the damage will not be as obvious as if just the top layer was coloured.
You may also notice that the AlloyGator has moved away from the wheel, which is normal, and a design feature to minimise the damage to the alloy wheel finish itself.
As the Gators can move with the flex and movement of the tyre, this also enables them to move in the event of an impact, so as not to transfer the energy to the wheel.
So long as they have not been damaged structurally, in other words they are still fully in tact & only scuffed, they can normally be re-fitted back to their normal position.
Depending on how far they have come out, this can sometimes be done by the vehicle owner, and we’re happy to give advice on how to do this if you call us.
Alternatively, if you make an appointment with us, we’re happy to refit them for you, usually at no cost to you. This can often be done while you wait with us for around 30 mins.
When more severe damage has been caused and the ‘tongue’ which fits between the wheel and tyre has been ripped away from the outer rim, then the AlloyGator cannot be saved and should be removed and replaced.
If the collision has ripped off the bridging piece which covers the joint, we do have spare ones and this can sometimes be replaced, depending on what damage has been caused to the locating hole.
We will do what we can to save your AlloyGators if you scuff them, but if they do need to be replaced, at least a replacement will be less costly and quicker than an alloy wheel repair.